Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41787527›Full record

ReviewPatient safety in surgery2026

Association between preoperative hypoalbuminemia and surgical site infection in abdominal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Hala Fathi EmamElkhir Omer, Maria Badraldin Ali Saga, Yaser Waheeb Slaiman Naser, Heba Mukhtar Abdalla Mukhtar, Tamney Ahmed Mohammed Hamed, Jawahir Osman Omer Ali, Noon Abdalla Mohamed, Tawasol Mustafa Abdalaty Mohamed, Hadeel Ahmed Ramadan Dawod, Ashraf Hassan Mohamed Hassan and 1 more

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Review in Patient safety in surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Hala Fathi EmamElkhir OmerAl Neelain University, El Gamhuriya Avenue, P.O. Box: 12702, Khartoum, Sudan. daloofathi5@gmail.com.
Maria Badraldin Ali SagaAl Neelain University, El Gamhuriya Avenue, P.O. Box: 12702, Khartoum, Sudan.
Yaser Waheeb Slaiman NaserAl Neelain University, El Gamhuriya Avenue, P.O. Box: 12702, Khartoum, Sudan.
Heba Mukhtar Abdalla MukhtarKassala University, Kassala, Sudan.
Tamney Ahmed Mohammed HamedKassala University, Kassala, Sudan.
Jawahir Osman Omer AliKassala University, Kassala, Sudan.
Noon Abdalla MohamedUniversity of Science and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan.
Tawasol Mustafa Abdalaty MohamedKassala University, Kassala, Sudan.
Hadeel Ahmed Ramadan DawodUniversity of Bahri, Khartoum, Sudan.
Ashraf Hassan Mohamed HassanAl Neelain University, El Gamhuriya Avenue, P.O. Box: 12702, Khartoum, Sudan.
Sagad O O MohamedUniversity of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0597-2397

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSurgical site infections (SSIs) represent a significant postoperative complication following gastrointestinal surgery. Hypoalbuminemia has been proposed as a potential risk factor, but the strength of this association remains unclear. This review aimed to systematically evaluate the relationship between preoperative serum albumin levels and SSI risk in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery.

methodsA systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception through November 2025. Studies were eligible if they examined the association between serum albumin and SSI in adult patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery, measured preoperative serum albumin levels, and reported SSI as an outcome. Two separate analyses were performed: odds ratios (OR) comparing hypoalbuminemia versus normal albumin groups, and standardized mean differences (SMD) comparing albumin levels between patients with and without SSI.

resultsTwenty-three studies, involving 681,181 patients, were included. The meta-analysis demonstrated that hypoalbuminemia significantly increased SSI risk (OR 2.37, 95% CI: 1.84–3.05, p < 0.001). Analysis of studies comparing mean albumin levels showed patients with SSI had significantly lower albumin concentrations than those without SSI (SMD − 0.80, 95% CI: -1.21 to -0.39, p < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of findings, and no publication bias was detected.

conclusionPreoperative hypoalbuminemia is strongly associated with increased SSI risk following gastrointestinal surgery. From a clinical and patient safety perspective, serum albumin should be incorporated into preoperative risk stratification to identify high-risk patients and guide targeted interventions.

Indexed as

Abdominal surgeryMeta-analysisNutritional statusPreoperative hypoalbuminemiaSurgical site infections

Identifiers

PMID41787527
PMCPMC13072468

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.